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Baseball season is officially in full swing. If you have an interest or a need in tweaking with your team, then you have come to the right place. This FAAB fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups series will be looking at Week 15-- July 1 through July 7 -- and will point out free agents to target and how much FAAB you should allocate for them.
Baseball is a long season, and your FAAB budget has to last you an awfully long time. For the next 10 weeks, we must carefully place bids and target players who will fill holes in our team. Pay close attention to this in category leagues and spend big on a player if you need a specific category filled urgently.
Below are a few players with ownership percentages under 50% in Yahoo leagues that could benefit your roster and provide you with an added boost in several categories. I will also include what percentage of your FAAB budget you should look to spend on each player. Let’s get started!
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Chad Green, RP, Toronto Blue Jays
30% rostered
FAAB Bid: <8% if needing saves, <2% for others
Chad Green is the beneficiary of several injuries to the Toronto bullpen that have pushed him into a closing opportunity. With Jordan Romano (elbow) and Yimi Garcia (elbow) both on the 15-day injured list, the 33-year-old has a strong hold on ninth-inning duties in Toronto.
The only problem is that the Blue Jays have been playing poor baseball and are falling fast in the American League standings. Despite the team's struggles, Green has shown immense potential with a 1.53 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. This makes him a promising addition, even if the save opportunities are not as frequent.
Drew Thorpe, SP, Chicago White Sox
15% rostered
FAAB Bid: <5%
A recent starting pitching call-up earned his first major league win and is starting to put it together in the majors. On June 22, he struck out a career-high five batters across six shutout frames.
Overall, through a 15 ⅓ inning sample size, he still holds a hefty 5.02 ERA and 1.03 WHIP and will not have many win opportunities pitching for the White Sox, which makes him a target for deeper leagues.
Drew Thorpe’s first major league strikeout! pic.twitter.com/3vHGQr04n7
— Milb Central (@milb_central) June 12, 2024
However, Thorpe currently has a 2.2% barrel rate, which is a good sign that he is doing an excellent job limiting hard contact. If your rotation is decimated with injuries, Thorpe could be a sneaky upside play if he continues to figure it out and subsequently receives more chances.
Jameson Taillon, SP, Chicago Cubs
35% rostered
FAAB Bid: <10%
The 32-year-old has quietly been one of the best pitchers in fantasy over the past two weeks. In his past three starts, Taillon has posted a 1.42 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and a 3:18 BB:K ratio.
This is highlighted by a seven-inning gem against the red-hot Mets, in which he allowed just one earned run and struck out a season-high ten batters.
Jameson Taillon has the 4th double-digit strikeout game of his career. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/b3CmwxpJ7u
— MLB (@MLB) June 22, 2024
The Cubs season may be falling apart as I write this, but Taillon looks to be getting better. He is worth a look in all standard leagues.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, 2B/3B/SS/OF, Toronto Blue Jays
30% rostered
FAAB Bid: <5%
The new leadoff man in Toronto has been one of the few bright spots on this team. Kiner-Falefa has started an impressive 11-game hitting streak, which began on June 15 and is still keeping it going on June 27 as of writing.
During this stretch, he has begun to showcase his power with two long balls and totaled 15 hits. If you are looking for a utility bat in your infield to boost your batting average, Kiner-Falefa is a safe addition. He should be penciled in the starting lineup every day.
Heston Kjerstad, OF, Baltimore Orioles
25% rostered
FAAB Bid: <8%
Are we ready to believe in Kjerstad again? History tells us to wait and see. The Arkansas product joined the major league roster earlier this season but found very little playing time.
However, this stint may be different. Kjerstad has already drawn three starts in three games since his promotion, and more importantly, he may be taking the left-field job away from Colton Cowser. In this stretch, he has tallied four total hits with three RBI and a home run.
Cowser has tallied just four hits in his past eight games and has begun to sit against right-handed pitchers, which was never the case through the early part of the season. Do not blow your budget on Kjerstad, but this may be your final chance to get the young slugger on the cheap before he becomes a full-time player.
Colt Keith, 2B/3B, Detroit Tigers
15% rostered
FAAB Bid: >10%
Keith is still severely underrated, and I do not understand why. Since posting a poor.163 AVG through April, the rookie rebounded very well with a .342 AVG in May and has begun to carry that momentum into June.
From June 15 to June 23, the 22-year-old posted a .375/.412/.656 line with two long balls, four RBI, and a 1:4 BB:K ratio.
Colt Keith is batting .315/.351/.457 with an OPS of .808 over his last 35 at-bats. Gives Reese Olson some much-needed run support early. pic.twitter.com/X0HEvujMN0
— Rogelio Castillo (@rogcastbaseball) June 23, 2024
In addition, Keith has begun to serve as the primary leadoff hitter against right-handed pitching, which will provide him with several RBI and scoring opportunities. He is a must-roster option going forward.
Hunter Goodman, C/1B/OF, Colorado Rockies
10% rostered
FAAB Bid: <2% if needing a second catcher, <1% for others
The 24-year-old University of Memphis product has begun to earn more playing time in Colorado and is worth a look in deeper leagues. From June 15 to June 25, he sat out only one of Colorado’s games and held a solid .270/.289/.703 line with an eye-catching five long balls and 10 RBI. However, he has struggled with a 1:10 BB:K ratio, which lowers his value in points leagues.
What makes him worth pursuing is that he has a rare first base, outfield, and catching ability on most websites, which is very helpful in daily leagues. If you are looking for a second catcher or fifth outfielder with some power, Goodman is worth adding.
David Festa, SP, Minnesota Twins
10% rostered
FAAB Bid: <7%
Minnesota Twins starting pitching prospect David Festa was promoted to the major leagues and made his first start on Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In his major league debut, he looked sharp at first, tossing three shutout frames. He ran into some trouble in the fourth and fifth innings and ultimately gave up five earned runs through five innings.
Festa showcased elite strikeout potential at Triple-A St. Paul this season with 91 in just 62 ⅔ innings. In addition, he struck out 10 batters on three occasions and eight batters twice at Tripe-A this season.
His first start does not push him into "must-add" territory, but he did look quite comfortable in the first three innings, which is a good sign going forward.
Hayden Birdsong, SP, San Francisco Giants
10% rostered
FAAB Bid: <5%
Another young arm who made his major league debut this week was Hayden Birdsong of the San Francisco Giants. Birdsong just earned a promotion to Triple-A on June 10 and needed just nine innings at that level to prove he was ready for the big leagues. In 57 ⅓ innings across Double-A and Triple-A this season, the former sixth-round pick held a 2.51 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with a 26:75 BB:K ratio.
Hayden Birdsong's 2Ks in the 3rd. pic.twitter.com/kUhaOTQHn1
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 27, 2024
The young right-hander performed quite well in his MLB debut on Wednesday, June 26, albeit in a favorable matchup against the Chicago Cubs. He pitched four ⅔ innings with five punchouts and three earned runs. He should be scheduled for at least another turn in the rotation and could carve out a permanent role.
Time To Stash Prospects
I am including a few prospects that you could begin stashing to get ahead of your league mates, save yourself some budget, and get them at a discount. Once a big-name prospect is called up, you will have to pay up the following week to add them to your roster, and that might end up sinking your FAAB. The names below are potential league winners in the second half of the season.
Junior Caminero, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays
30% rostered
FAAB Bid: 15%
Caminero (quadriceps) is nearing a return from an eight-month absence that has severely damaged his redraft value. However, if any impatient league-mates cut ties with the top prospect, swoop in this weekend.
The budding superstar holds a .478 SLG with eight long balls in 34 games this season at Triple-A and should make an immediate impact on the major league level. He might only need a few games once cleared to return to reach the majors.
James Wood, OF, Washington Nationals
25% rostered
FAAB Bid: 10%
Wood also got bit by the injury bug but recently returned to games at Triple-A last week and has already made an impact.
Through five games, he holds a .313/.450/.500 slash line with one long ball and three RBI. The top prospect in the nation’s capital is a must-roster in five outfielder leagues and worth stashing in the outfielder leagues as he could make his major league debut early in July.
Coby Mayo, 3B, Baltimore Orioles
10% rostered
FAAB Bid: >10%
Another young star had his 2024 campaign halted by an injury. Mayo returned to Triple-A action on June 18 after missing a month of play due to a rib injury and has picked up right where he left off.
Coby Mayo is a machine that turns baseballs into home runs 💪
This is his third-straight game with a home run! pic.twitter.com/gcHUkAKhHm
— Orioles Player Development (@OsPlayerDev) June 27, 2024
In his first six games, the 22-year-old has launched two long balls to increase his season total to 15 and tallied four RBI to add to his 41 count. While the Baltimore infield is crowded, Mayo has elite power potential that cannot sit in the minors much longer. The Orioles have their eyes set on the AL East, and Mayo can push them over the top.
Brooks Lee, SS, Minnesota Twins
2% rostered
FAAB Bid: <5%
Brooks Lee has been on an incredible run through June at Triple-A and is making a strong case for a promotion. Since June 1st, the former eighth overall pick holds a .343/.410/.629 line with five home runs and an 8:10 BB:K ratio.
Lee had his 2024 season delayed due to a herniated disc but has been able to put that setback in the rearview mirror. In addition, he has begun to log starts at the keystone, which is a telling sign that the Twins want his bat in the majors in any way they can.
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